


Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: A Rewrite

by noxpersona9



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Canon Rewrite, Coming Out, Department of Mysteries, Eventual scorbus, F/M, Gay Male Character, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Slow Burn, follows canon before cursed child
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-29 06:31:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7673701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noxpersona9/pseuds/noxpersona9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a rewrite of the Cursed Child, which will aim to fix all the plot holes from the original story and replace the messy time-traveling plot. However, I will try to retain the personalities of all the characters, save for correcting moments when some act OOC in the original. It WILL contain Delphi, but I will try to improve on her story and make her less one-dimensional. Also, I'm aiming for an eventual Scorbus because let's face it - those dorks were meant to end up together <3</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Unspeakable Vow

**HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD: A REWRITE**

DEPARTMENT OF MYSTERIES, 2 MAY 1998

It was as common an occurrence for Rodolphus Lestrange to be seen inside the Ministry of Magic as it was for him to be holding a baby. It was fitting, therefore, that the sight of him briskly walking towards the elevator holding a blanket-swathed infant would have drawn many odd looks from various employees. But both Rodolphus and the infant were shrouded by a Disillusionment Charm, invisible to the unsuspecting Ministry workers. It would not do, Rodolphus thought, for anyone to know that he had visited the Ministry or, far more crucially, that he had been carrying a baby with him. This was not a regular Ministry visit. And this was, indisputably, not a regular child.

The child was asleep, though Rodolphus had taken the preventive measure of placing a Silencing Charm upon her. There was no room for error: Rodolphus had gotten his orders from the Dark Lord personally, who sat miles away in the Shrieking Shack, observing the battle taking place on the grounds of Hogwarts.

" _Move the child from Malfoy Manor immediately,_ " the Dark Lord commanded. " _It is no longer safe with Lucius._ "

Though his master had not specified where to take the child, Rodolphus assumed that the Dark Lord had meant for him to take it to the house of one of their allies - Crabbe or Goyle's house would have been suitable. Yet, just as he was about to leave with the child, he was contacted by Rookwood, who suggested moving the child to a very particular location within the Ministry. Though Rodolphus had protested, arguing that it would have been more prudent to keep the child in one of their own strongholds, Rookwood had been persistent. Eventually, however, he agreed to the strange request, though his mind had worked frantically during his journey to the Ministry. If the child was not safe at Malfoy Manor, it could only mean that Lucius had betrayed them, or at least, the Dark Lord suspected Lucius. In any case, Rodolphus remained staunchly faithful to his master - and since Rookwood had suggested the location for keeping the child, Rodolphus knew that he would not be blamed in the case of any unfortunate situation.

Now, he stood in front of a large golden elevator, waiting for everyone inside to leave. As the last wizard shuffled out, Rodolphus silently slipped through the closing grills. He jabbed at a button, holding the baby tighter as the elevator lurched and sank rapidly.

"Department of Mysteries," said a cool female voice.

Rodolphus quickly exited the elevator and walked through the corridor. Unlike the rest of the Ministry, the walls were bare - there were no windows or doors, except for a plain black one at the very end of the corridor. Holding the sleeping child with one hand, he reached for the handle and twisted it. The door swung open and Rodolphus wasted no time in stepping through the threshold.

He was now standing in a large, circular room. It was completely black, illuminated only by the blue candles that revealed identical, unmarked doors spread equally around the walls. He quietly shut the door behind him and closed his eyes. He felt a great rumbling noise and knew that the walls around him were spinning, trying to prevent him from recognizing the exit. Once the rumbling had ceased, he opened his eyes.

"Hall of Prophecy," he said.

Instantly, the door closest to his left flew open. He drew his wand and lit it before stepping through the door. The room seemed endlessly high and glowed eerily from cold glass orbs on shelves. After two years, the room felt vaguely familiar since the last time he had stood here. But this time, his final destination was not the Hall of Prophecy, but the door that stood at the very end of the seemingly endless rows of shelves. It would certainly have been easier to Apparate there, but he did not want to risk the child being accidentally Splinched - he shuddered at the thought of the Dark Lord discovering any harm befalling upon this particular infant. He thus strode quickly and purposefully.

As the minutes dragged endlessly in silence, he felt the blankets stirring. The child had woken up and began to cry. Though Rodolphus had magically silenced her, she nevertheless continued to flail inside the blankets. At last, however, they had arrived. Carefully, so as not to drop the wiggling child, he undid the Disillusionment Charms upon them, opened the door and walked through. He now stood inside a room not unlike the others he encountered within the building. It was black and was lit by branches of candles that burned blue flames. But unlike every other room he had encountered, it was occupied by several cloaked wizards. As Rodolphus walked inside, they looked up and immediately drew their wands.

"I seek an audience with Euphemia Rowle." Rodolphus said.

The wizards neither spoke nor lowered their wands. Rodolphus resisted his natural urge to curse them - Rookwood been very clear when they told him to treat the Unspeakables with the respect their profession's status granted them. But moments later, a hooded figure approached him. She did not hold a wand, but nevertheless, she regarded him silently before speaking.

"Rodolphus Lestrange," she spoke in a withering voice. "We have been expecting you."

"You... you have?" Rodolphus asked, taken aback.

"Oh, yes," Rowle smiled thinly. "There are no mysteries we are unaware of in this place."

"Then you know why I have come here," Rodolphus said. "I come before you as a messenger of the Dark Lord. He requests- "

"Oh, come, Rodolphus, let us drop the pretense," she said. "You may have come here to act on the Dark Lord's orders, but he most certainly did not order you here."

A thought crossed Rodolphus' mind. "I presume Rookwood let you know that I was coming here. He's still in contact with his old colleagues, then?"

A flicker of irritation crossed Rowle's face, then vanished almost instantly. "If you are wondering whether he told you to come at my request, you are mistaken. Rookwood has not been in contact with the Unspeakables since right after his escape from Azkaban two years ago."

"Ah yes, I remember now," Rodolphus said. "It was you who told Rookwood about the security around the prophecy records here, wasn't it?"

"It was," Rowle said shortly. "But enough with that. Tell me, why have you come before us?"

"On the Dark Lord's behalf, I request that the Unspeakables provide asylum to this child." Rodolphus said.

His words had an immediate effect. Whispers carried through their ranks. Euphemia Rowle herself raised an eyebrow.

"And why," she asked. "Would the Dark Lord require asylum to be given to a _child_?"

"This child is no ordinary infant." Rodolphus said, eager now that his words had carried such a strong impact. "She is the daughter of the Dark Lord himself."

This revelation send ripples of excitement amongst the Unspeakables. The whispers had elevated to conversations, though Rodolphus could not distinctly make out anything. Rowle gave a significant look at one of the hooded Unspeakables before turning to Rodolphus.

"Who is the mother?" Rowle asked.

"My wife, Bellatrix Lestrange." Rodolphus replied quickly.

"Then why is the child not at Malfoy Manor?" Rowle asked, her eyes now glinting in the dim light. "I believe that is where she lives with her sister's family, is it not?"

"The Dark Lord has ordered the child to be moved. He believes it... imprudent to leave the child with Lucius any longer."

"And why does Rookwood believe that we will grant her asylum?" she asked.

"I don't know," Rodolphus admitted. "I believe it was because he presumed that she would be safest with the Unspeakables."

To his bewilderment, his words now raised a bout of laughter. Euphemia Rowle smirked before raising a hand to quell the laughter.

"An obvious statement. I admit, even the Dark Lord would find it difficult to break through the magical wards we have placed around us." Rowle said. "The only reason you still stand here is because we have been expecting you. Otherwise, you would have found it impossible to take another step once you put a finger on the doorknob."

"Then will you take her?" Rodolphus asked. "I admit that the security placed around this room is stronger than almost any other magical dwelling. I only ask that she remain until the Dark Lord deals with the Malfoys."

"And when will that be?" Rowle asked him.

"It shouldn't take more than a few hours," Rodolphus said, eager that they were making progress. "He is currently overseeing a battle taking place at Hogwarts. Once he deals with that, he will quickly attend to the Malfoys."

"A battle, you say?" Rowle asked in a silky voice, not unlike the one Snape used. Rodolphus was beginning to feel uncomfortable. "And both the Dark Lord and your wife are taking part in it?"

"Yes," Rodolphus affirmed. "But as I said, it's only a minor insurr-"

"What will we do with the child should she become orphaned?" Rowle asked.

"Or-orphaned?" Rodolphus asked, unsure whether he heard her correctly. Surely these people, though living underground, knew about the Dark Lord's immortality?

"Yes, Rodolphus, orphaned," Rowle repeated. "I presume you will return to collect her?"

"I- er..." Rodolphus began. "Why are we considering the impossible?"

"Humor me."

"What would you have done?" Rodolphus challenged.

"Allow us to keep the child," Rowle said. "We will raise her ourselves, teach her our ways and wisdom."

"Keep- keep the child?" he asked incredulously. "Why in Merlin's name would I ever agree to that?"

"You admit, then, that there exists a possibility of your master's defeat?" Rowle challenged. "That the great Lord Voldemort could be destroyed by a mere boy who you call the 'Chosen One'?"

"No - of course not!" Rodolphus said at once. He was growing agitated. Her condition were ridiculous - and yet the prospect of them coming to fruition was more ridiculous still.

"Then, Rodolphus Lestrange, you agree to these terms?" she asked, a satisfied smile growing on her face.

"Yes, I do." he said finally. "I accept these terms."

"Very well," Rowle said. "We shall grant your request, Rodolphus Lestrange, at the behest of your master. Bring forward your arm."

Rodolphus brought forward his arm and clasped Rowle's hand, expecting to shake it. Instead, he found his hand trapped in her vice-like grasp.

"No deal with the Unspeakables commences without the Unbreakable Vow," Rowle explained sinisterly. She pointed at a hooded Unspeakable with her free hand. "Professor Croaker - perhaps you would consent to be our Bonder?"

"Of course, Madam Rowle." he said, approaching the two. He took out his wand and held it above their conjoined hands.

"Will you, Rodolphus Lestrange, allow the child of Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange to reside in the Department of Mysteries with the Unspeakables?"

"I will."

The blue-fire candles around them went out, just as a tongue of flame shot from the hooded wizard's wand, wrapping around their hands

"And will you, in the event of her orphanage, allow the Unspeakables to mark her as one of our own?"

"I will." (A second tongue of flame wrapped around them).

"And will you, should she be marked as one of ours, consent to never return to this place again?"

Rodolphus hesitated - this was, after all, not part of the agreement they had reached. But then he smiled internally, reassuring himself that a child of the immortal, invulnerable Lord Voldemort would never become an orphan.

"I will."

A third tongue of flame shot out of the wand, wrapping around their clasped hands like a fiery serpent. But as the red flames died down, and the blue fire around them burned once again, Rodolphus missed the triumphant, knowing look that crossed Euphemia Rowle's face.


	2. The Augurey Rises

DEPARTMENT OF MYSTERIES, 21 JUNE 2014

Euphemia Rowle sat alone in the darkness on a simple mat - her eyes closed and her expression thoughtful. Unlike the other rooms in the Department of Mysteries, the chamber that she sat in was unlit, so the usual blue illumination that permeated the rooms was replaced by inky blackness. Though this meditation chamber was open for all Unspeakables to use, few but Rowle herself ever came inside. Indeed, Rowle's visits to this chamber had been increasing ever so frequently in the past year alone - so much that some of her colleagues jokingly suggested that she make the place her new quarters.

Since last month, however, the reason for her visit all had a common cause: the girl. It had been more than sixteen years since that fateful night, when Rodolphus Lestrange had brought her to the Department of Mysteries. Euphemia had known at the time, though Lestrange did not, that his master's time in this world was short. Mere hours after his visit, news raced across the Ministry that the Dark Lord had been vanquished. Euphemia had once wondered what had become of Rodolphus - whether he was incarcerated in Azkaban or had eluded capture, now on the run from the Aurors. But she quickly banished the thought from her mind - all that mattered now was the problem he had brought with him.

They had named the girl Delphini, though as of late, she had begun demanding that she simply be called Delphi. Examinations quickly verified Rodolphus' claims about her parentage, and her prodigious talents confirmed it every day. Nevertheless, she continued to remain at the heart of all of Euphemia's problems.

A soft knock on the door interrupted these flow of thoughts, though she did not open her eyes. A portly man opened the door and walked in quietly, sitting cross-legged opposite to her.

"Professor Croaker," she addressed. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Madam Rowle," the man said. "We cannot delay any further. The girl comes of age today - it is only a matter of time befor-"

"I am well aware of the situation, Saul," Rowle said coolly. "But we both know the Delphini cannot fulfill the Twin Prophecies until she has been marked."

"As we should have done when she was orphaned!" Croaker insisted. "Madam Rowle - Euphemia - I don't understand why you have delayed in marking Delphi! The girl possesses immense magical power, and she has already proven her loyalty to us on multiple occasions!"

"Our problem, Saul," Rowle said. "is that she still does not possess the right temperament to do what needs to be done! Loyalty to us alone will not make her the witch we had hoped she would become. She is not ready to bring back the Dark Lord. And do not call her 'Delphi' - it only encourages her," she added as an afterthought.

Croaker remained silent. After a few moments, Rowle opened her eyes and took in Croaker's form. Years of living in the darkness had trained her eyes to discern shapes from the shadows. Although she could not make out his face, she knew that he was looking expectantly at her.

She sighed and said, "I do not need to use Legilimancy to know what you're thinking. Harry Potter is not the answer."

"But if what they say is true, Euphemia - that Harry Potter has the Deathly Hallows - then we have everything we need to fulfill the prophecies!"

"You know as well as I that Delphini will not kill him." she retorted.

"We don't need her to kill him - she simply needs to Disarm him, and the Wand is as good as ours!" Croaker cried. "We don't need to tell her the whole truth - just telling her that Potter murdered her father would be enough to send her over the edge!"

"For Merlin's sake, Saul!" Euphemia cried. "Do you really think she has the makings of a killer _?_ "

"She's a rebel," Croaker said. "And she has a fiery personality. But her destiny doesn't depend on killing Potter! Her purpose is to reunite the Hallows."

"Precisely," Rowle said. "And therein lies the problem with her. I concede it possible that she could defeat Potter, but the fact of the matter is that she is simply too _weak_ to master the Elder Wand. It would be impossible for her to unite the Hallows."

"The Elder Wand doesn't care about whether she'll use it to blast apart wizards or to conjure toys for children! The only thing it understands is power, and Delphi - Delphini - is stronger than any witch or wizard alive!"

"You mistake power for skill, Saul," Euphemia said. "I admit that she is a witch of prodigious skill, but she has neither the ambition nor the cunning needed to master the Elder Wand."

"At least give the girl a chance, Euphemia. If nothing else, let her find the Stone!"

"And do you have any idea where the Stone is? How do you expect her to scour the country in search of a pebble?" she said. "Until we have more information, there's no chance of her recovering the Stone. And do not forget that according to the prophecies, there is still a chance that she could fail."

"The Cloak, then!"

"Absolutely not. The Cloak lies with Potter, and he cannot discover her existence until she is ready to face him."

"Then what do you propose, Euphemia?" Croaker demanded. "She has to learn the truth sometime! How do you expect her to fulfill her destiny if she never enters the real world?"

"A world that does not even know that she exists!" Euphemia snapped. "Sixteen years has failed to drill reason into her naive head. She is too impulsive and emotional!"

"How long do you plan on coddling her?" Croaker cried.

"As long as I must, Saul!" she shouted. "Delphini cannot fail us! She cannot fail me-"

Her voice suddenly broke. There was silence ringing in contrast to their shouting match, punctuated occasionally by her shallow breathing.

"This is about Augustus, isn't it?" Croaker asked gently.

"The world he lived for - there is still a chance that all is not lost," Euphemia choked. "If the Dark Lord returns, we need not hide any longer! Augustus and I will be reunited once again, just as how we should have been for years. But if Delphini fails - everything Augustus fought for will have been in vain - I may never see him again."

"Euphemia, look at me," Croaker said. He took her hands in his and looked at her eyes, barely discernible as they both sat in the dark.

"I swear to you that Delphini won't fail. And once the Dark Lord returns, he will break open Azkaban - you'll see Augustus again, and this time, you'll truly see him - under golden sun in the full light of day, not in the dark by dim candlelight! But you have to trust in the girl - trust in the prophecies - and your future together is as good as assured."

She looked up at Croaker. He had long been her confidante, but more recently, he had become the closest thing to a friend she had. His words rarely failed to take away her pains.

"There may be a way to ensure that Delphini ensures the Dark Lord's return."

Euphemia looked up. "How?"

"We need to send her to Narcissa," Croaker said. "Delphini is her niece, after all. But we'll say that the father is Rodolphus. No one except him knows the truth - I'll personally deal with Rodolphus."

Euphemia hesitated. "Saul, the risks are far too great- "

"Narcissa will not betray her, Euphemia. No matter how she feels about the Dark Lord, Bellatrix was her sister."

Seeing that she was still convinced, he added, "No harm will come to her, I swear. This is the only way to bring back the Dark Lord. The only way to bring back Augustus."

After a few moments, Euphemia sighed. "Very well. Send for Delphini - we will mark her tonight before sending her off."

Satisfied, Croaker stood up and left for the dining hall. Euphemia remained there for a moment, enjoying another few moments in the darkness, before getting up and following suit.

That night, their members gathered in the Room of Thought, which was completely devoid of Ministry workers. Their numbers were few - only around two dozen remained after Euphemia ascended to leadership. Few knew of their existence, and even fewer had ever met them - Augustus Rookwood and Saul Croaker were the only two in the last half-century that had been in regular contact with them. Now, Euphemia regarded them in the greenish light emitted by the liquid in the brain tanks. Once all was quiet, she took a breath and began.

"Unspeakables! We gather tonight to bring another to our numbers - one who has heard the Augurey's call and learned its mysteries. I need not remind you all how significant our decision was to take her - an outsider - into our sacred halls. Our history is clandestine - indeed, our very existence is unknown to the world above us. But we are followers of true magic - our roots are older than the Ministry building above our heads - the same Ministry that threatened to tear us apart more than three centuries ago! Few of us remember the Great Schism of 1707 - when the fledgling government was established and demanded us to reveal our secrets to unworthy witches and wizards. But we all know the result: the Ministry established the Department of Mysteries, taking our home and our name for their workers. Yet they could not eradicate us fully! We hid ourselves deep within our ancestral home, guarding our ancient secrets from the unworthy. Meanwhile, the world above has changed greatly over the centuries - few witches and wizards of true magical lineage remain, their progeny corrupted by Muggle blood. Our home now remains the only sanctuary of magic on Earth - we, the followers of the Augurey: the rainbringer, the herald of death to the unworthy, who flee before its call! But for those who do not run - those who follow its call - come to us and return to the roots of true magic. And tonight, yet another is to be marked as one of us, having learned and followed our ways. Delphini, kneel before us."

A young woman in her late teens walked silently forward. Her features combined the best traits of the both the Riddles and the Blacks. Her hair was silver-blonde with blue tips - she had artificially created the latter, as a mark of teenage rebellion. True to Euphemia's words, the girl did not reflect any of the sadism and viciousness found in her parents, though she was rather hot-headed and unruly. Her true parentage had been kept a secret from her, though she had been told that her parents were powerful wizards that fought for the Augurey.

"Delphini, on this day, you come of age. When you were brought to us, we agreed to keep you safe from your father's enemies. But with your orphanage, we raised you and taught you our ways. You have proven yourself to be one of us. And tonight, we mark you as one of our own."

She raised her wand and tapped the back of Delphi's neck. A burning flash - and in its place was a greenish-black bird.

"Rise, Delphini, and meet your destiny for the Augurey: rainbringer, herald of death."


	3. King's Cross

KING'S CROSS, 1 SEPTEMBER 2017

As Harry walked with his family on the busy, crowded train station, he felt a rush of nostalgia as he took in the sights. Twenty years had passed since he had last stepped foot in this station, yet around him was the ever-familiar sight of people all trying to go somewhere. Harry himself had changed greatly - he was older, inching toward middle-age, and for the first time, he arrived to King's Cross with a real family. Alongside him, two large cages rattled on the laden trolleys they stood. They were being pushed by his two sons, apparently in argument. One was rather tall, with messy hair and expressive eyebrows. He had a perpetual, mischievous grin on his face. The other was an exact replica of a younger Harry: jet black hair and bright green eyes, though he did not wear glasses like his father. Closely following was Ginny, her red hair distinctive amidst the grey steam and dark bricks. On Harry's shoulders was his daughter, who was crying.

"It won't be long, and you'll be going too," Harry told her.

"Two years," sniffed Lily. "I want to go _now_!"

"Dad, he keeps saying it!" Albus complained.

"James, give it a rest." Harry said.

"I only said he _might_ be in Slytherin," James said with a grin. "There's nothing wrong with that. He _might_ be sorte-"

But James faltered under his father's stern glare.

"Fine," he said, falling silent after.

Albus looked up hesitantly at his mother. "You'll write to me, won't you?"

"Every day if you want us to." Ginny said.

"Not every day!" Albus exclaimed. "James says most people only get letters from home about once a month! I don't want to..." He faltered and stopped talking in embarrassment.

"We wrote to your brother three times a week last year," Ginny said in amusement.

"What? James!" he glared at his older brother accusingly.

"You may not want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts," Harry laughed. "He likes a laugh, your brother."

Wish a sheepish grin, James asked, "Can we go now, please?"

Albus looked at his parents in question - he had no idea how to get on the platform, as his parents had never taken him when James started Hogwarts.

Ginny quickly explained, "All you have to do is walk straight at the wall between platform nine and ten."

"I'm so excited!" Lily squealed from atop her father's shoulders.

Harry put a reassuring hand on Albus' shoulder. "Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it - that's very important. Best to do it at a run if you're nervous."

Albus took a deep breath and said, "I'm ready."

Harry and Lily put their hands on Albus' trolley and Ginny joined in for James'. Together, the family ran hard into the barrier. Albus closed his eyes, half expecting to crash, but they kept running... running... and suddenly he felt a rush of air, and he knew that it worked. Opening his eyes, the first thing he noticed was the white steam pouring from the magnificent red train on the tracks. On the front, in golden letters, was written "HOGWARTS EXPRESS", and he felt a great surge of excitement - _this was it_.

The family walked along the busy platform. But instead of Muggles in sharp suits going about their day, they now encountered witches and wizards in robes of all colors preparing for the train's departure. Students were running to greet their friends, and parents chased after them to bring forgotten belongings.

"This is it..." Albus breathed in awe.

"Wow!" Lily marveled.

"Platform nine and three-quarters." Albus said, taking in the strange and wondrous sights.

"Where are they?" Lily asked immediately. "Are they here? Maybe they didn't come?"

Harry looked around and found them immediately, pointing them out for Lily. She squealed and ran forward to greet them.

"Uncle Ron! Uncle Ron!" she cried.

A group of four people emerged from the mist, standing alongside the very last carriage. Though Harry recognized them immediately, their faces only came into focus when Harry, Ginny, Lily, and Albus had drawn right up to them. Lily barreled up to him and jumped into his arms.

"If it isn't my favorite Potter!" Ron laughed.

"Have you got my trick?" Lily asked.

In a falsely serious voice, Ron asked her, "Are you aware of the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes-certified nose-stealing breath?"

"Mum!" Rose complained. "Dad's doing that lame thing again."

Hermione smiled at her daughter's annoyance. "You say lame, he says glorious, I say - somewhere in between."

"Hang on. Let me just munch this... air." Ron gnashed his teeth in front of a delighted Lily's face. "And now it's just a simple matter of... excuse me if I smell slightly of garlic..."

Lily giggled as his breath tickled her face.

"You smell of porridge." she informed him.

"Bing. Bang Boing. Young lady, get ready to not be able to smell at all..." he smiled, pretending to lift her nose off.

"Where's my nose?" Lily giggled.

"Ta-da!" Ron exclaimed, revealing an empty hand.

"You're silly!" Lily laughed.

"Hi." said Albus, immensely relieved that Rose had chosen that moment to escape from her embarrassing father. He noticed, as she beamed at him in response, that she was already wearing her brand-new Hogwarts robes.

"Parked all right, then?" Ron asked Harry. "I did. Hermione didn't believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I'd have the Confund the examiner."

"No, I didn't," said Hermione. "I had complete faith in you."

"And I have complete faith that he _did_ Confund the examiner." Rose said cheekily.

"Oi!" Ron said, though he too was grinning.

As he helped Harry lift Albus' trunk and owl onto the train, he whispered, "As a matter of fact, I _did_ Confund him. I only forgot to look in the wing mirror, and - let's face it - I can use a Supersensory Charm for that."

Back on the platform, they found Lily and Hugo having an animated discussion about which House they would be sorted into when they finally went to Hogwarts.

"If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you," said Ron, "But no pressure."

" _Ron!_ " Hermione and Ginny cried indignantly.

Lily and Hugo laughed, but Albus and Rose looked solemn.

"He doesn't mean it," the two mothers both said, but Ron was no longer paying attention.

Catching Harry's eye, he nodded covertly to a point some fifty yards away. The steam had thinned for a moment, and three people stood in sharp relief against the shifting mist.

"Look who it is." Ron murmured to Harry.

Draco Malfoy was standing there with his wife and son, a dark coat buttoned up to his throat. His hair was receding somewhat, which emphasized the pointed chin. His wife was holding onto Draco's shoulder. Harry vaguely remembered her name - Astoria Greengrass. Her sister, Daphne, as Harry recalled, was from his year. She was very pretty, but much of her natural beauty was veiled by her sunken and pale face - she looked rather ill. Harry realized, with a pang, that she was not merely holding onto Draco's shoulder, but using it as support to weakly stand. Harry made a mental note to ask Draco about his wife's health the next time they would mean, though he expected nothing more than a snarky remark. His son resembled Draco as much as Albus resembled Harry. Draco caught sight of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny staring at him, nodded curtly, and turned away again. Harry noticed Albus looking strangely at Draco's son, who was now talking to his Astoria eagerly. She smiled at him and covertly passed him a small bag, which he pocketed quietly.

"So that's little Scorpius," said Ron under his breath. He did not appear to have noticed Astoria's weak condition. "Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains."

"Ron, for heaven's sake," said Hermione, half stern, half amused. "Don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school!"

"You're right, sorry," said Ron, but unable to help himself, he added, "Don't get _too_ friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood."

"Hey!" a voice cried.

James had reappeared; he had divested himself of his trunk, owl, and trolley, and was evidently bursting with news.

"Teddy's back there," he said breathlessly, pointing back over his shoulder into the billowing clouds of steam. "Just seen him! And guess what he he's doing? _Snogging Victoire!_ "

He gazed up at the bemused adults, evidently disappointed by the lack of reaction.

" _Our_ Teddy! _Teddy Lupin_! Snogging _our_ Victoire! _Our_ cousin! And I asked Teddy what he was doing-"

"You interrupted them?" said Ginny, shaking her head. "You are _so_ like Ron-"

"-and he said that he'd come to see her off!" James continued, as though no interruption had occurred. "And then he told me to go away. He's _snogging_ her!" James added as though worried he had not made himself clear.

"Oh, it would be lovely if they got married!" whispered Lily ecstatically. "Teddy would _really_ be part of the family then!"

"He already comes round for dinner about four times a week," said Harry. "Why don't we just invite him to live with us and have done with it?"

"Yeah!" said James enthusiastically. He and Ted got along famously, seeing as they were both shared a common interest in practical jokes. "I don't mind sharing a room with Al - Teddy could have my room!"

"No," said Harry firmly. "You and Al will share a room only when I want the house demolished."

Indeed, the last time the two had shared a room - three Christmases ago - resulted in the house smelling strongly of Dungbombs for several weeks. Harry checked his battered old watch, which had once belonged to Fabian Prewett."

"It's nearly eleven, you'd better get on board."

"Don't forget to give Neville our love!" Ginny told James as she hugged him.

"Mum! I can't give a professor _love_!" James protested.

"But you _know_ Neville-" Ginny began.

James rolled his eyes. "Outside, yeah, but at school he's Professor Longbottom, isn't he? I can't walk into Herbology and give him _love_..."

Shaking his head at his mother's foolishness, he vented his feelings by aiming a kick at Albus.

"See you later, Al. Watch out for the thestrals." he said with a grin.

"I thought they were invisible? _You said they were invisible!_ " Albus said.

But James merely laughed, permitted Ginny to kiss him, gave his father a fleeting hug, then leapt onto the rapidly filling train. They saw him wave, then sprint away up the corridor to find his friends.

"Thestrals are nothing to worry about," Harry told Albus. "They're gentle things, there's nothing scary about them. Anyway, you won't be going up to school in the carriages - you'll be going in the boats."

Ginny kissed Albus good-bye. "See you at Christmas."

"Bye, Al," said Harry as his son hugged him "Don't forget Hagrid's invited you to tea next Friday. Don't mess with Peeves. Don't duel anyone 'till you've learned how. And don't let James wind you up."

"What if I'm in Slytherin?" Albus whispered.

Harry crouched down to be at level with his son's face.

"Albus Severus," Harry said quietly. "You were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."

"But _just say-_ " Albus began in protest.

"-then Slytherin House will have gained an excellent student, won't it? It doesn't matter to us, Al." Harry said with emphasized sincerity. "But if it matters to you, you'll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account."

"Really?" Albus asked, slightly unconvinced.

"It did for me."

Harry had never told any of his children this before, which came off through the wonder that grew on Albus' face. But the wonder broke as they heard the carriage doors slamming all around them. A number of people appeared to be peering through the windows at them.

"Why are they all _staring_?" demanded Albus.

"Don't let it worry you," said Ron. "It's me - I'm extremely famous."

Albus, Rose, Lily, and Hugo laughed. The train began to move just as Albus and Rose hopped aboard.

"I'm going to chase the train out." Lily declared, and began running alongside the train.

"Lily, come straight back." Ginny said. Lily had inherited her mother's fiery hair and personality. Lily scowled but obeyed her mother.

"They're going to be okay, right?" Ginny asked as the train began picking up speed.

"Hogwarts is a big place." Hermione said.

"Big. Wonderful. Full of food," Ron added. "I'd give anything to be going back."

"Strange, Al being worried he'll be sorted into Slytherin." Harry remarked.

"That's nothing," Hermione said. "Rose is worried whether she'll break the Quidditch scoring record in her first or second year. And how early she can take her O.W.L.s."

"I have no idea where she gets her ambition from," Ron said sarcastically.

"And how would you feel, Harry, if Al - if he is?" Ginny asked her husband.

"You know, Gin, we always thought there was a chance you could be sorted into Slytherin." Ron said before Harry could respond. "Honestly, Fred and George ran a book."

"What?" Ginny asked indignantly as Harry and Hermione laughed.

"Can we go?" Hermione finally asked. "People are looking, you know."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "People _always_ look when you three are together. And apart," she added as an afterthought. "People always look at you," she amended.

Chortling, the four exited the station. They said their good-byes before heading into their respective cars and drove away.

"Harry.. he'll be all right." Ginny told Harry after she noticed that her husband had not spoken since she started the car. "You know that, right?"

"I know he will." Harry said, smiling slightly.

As they drove on, he absentmindedly touched the lightning scar on his forehead. The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well, he thought, at long last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I know that it hasn't been that long, but I'd just like the say that feedback is appreciated! Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoy it! :)


	4. Hogwarts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As some of you have noticed, I've written that Harry had come to King's Cross in twenty years. This is not a mistake - in fact, there's a very good reason that he wasn't there to see his kids off until this year. Apart from that, I've cleaned up some of my spelling and grammatical errors (thank you for catching them btw!) I'm really glad to be getting such excellent feedback!
> 
> EDIT: I've changed some parts of the chapter and added more detail. Thank you moonandreacre! I appreciate all your help!

THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS, 1 SEPTEMBER 2017

Albus and Rose walked together along the carriage of the train. Albus could feel excitement bubbling inside him, perhaps tinged with a bit of nervousness as well. An old witch approached them, pushing a trolley filled with magical sweets.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" she asked them. "Pumpkin Pasty? Chocolate Frog? Cauldron Cake?"

The mention of Chocolate Frogs caught Albus' attention. After James started Hogwarts two years ago, he always brought home pocketfuls of Frogs for Albus, though he always kept the cards for himself. Albus had developed a sweet tooth for them - so much that his mother was forced to pull the family off sugar altogether. Now, away from his mother's omniscient presence, Albus was free to take all the sweets he wanted.

Rose, spotting Albus' loving look at the Chocolate Frogs, dragged him away and said, "Al, we need to concentrate."

"Concentrate on what?" he asked.

"On who we choose to be friends with," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing ever. "My mum and dad met your dad on their first Hogwarts Express, you know..."

"So we need to choose now who to be friends with for life?" Albus asked, bemused. "That's quite scary."

"On the contrary, it's exciting!" Rose said eagerly. "I'm a Granger-Weasley, you're a Potter - everyone will be want to be friends with us, we've got the pick of anyone we want!"

"So how do we decide?" Albus asked. "Which compartment to go in-"

Rose answered readily, as though expecting the question. "We rate them all and make a decision."

Albus rolled his eyes and smiled. Rose was just as clever as her mother, and had inherited her father's unorthodox quirkiness. So it came as no surprise that his dear cousin would create a _rating system_ , of all things, for making friends.

He opened a door and looked in on a familiar blond boy sitting in an otherwise empty compartment. As the boy looked up, Albus recognized him as the same boy he saw on the platform with Draco Malfoy - Scorpius, Uncle Ron had called him. Seeing as the compartment was nearly empty, Albus smiled at him. Scorpius immediately smiled back, his teeth pristine and white.

"Hi," Albus greeted. "Is this compartment-"

"It's free," Scorpius said immediately. "It's just me."

"Great. So we might just come in - for a bit - if that's okay?" Albus asked hesitantly.

"That's okay," Scorpius said eagerly. "Hi!"

"Albus. Al. I'm - my name is Albus..."

Trust me to muck up introductions, he though.

"Hi Scorpius." the boy said before quickly realizing his mistake. "I mean, I'm Scorpius. You're Albus. I'm Scorpius." His face was quite red now as he turned to Rose. "And you must be..."

She had _that_ look on her face again, Albus noted. She was staring at Scorpius as though he were a difficult textbook that needed to be memorized. Her eyes subtly darted across him, taking in his features and nervous expression as she regarded him silently.

This carried on for ten seconds, in which time she even glanced at Albus, who gave her a look as confused as Scorpius was.

Finally, she smiled slightly and, with a rather satisfied look on her face, turned to Scorpius and said, "Rose."

"Hi, Rose!" Scorpius said, relieved that he appeared to have passed whatever test Rose had subjected him to. "Would you like some of my Fizzing Whizbees?"

"I've just had breakfast," Rose said. "But thanks."

"I've also got some Shock-o-Chock, Pepper Imps, and some Jelly Slugs - Mum's idea," he explained, before breaking into song. "She says ' _Sweets, they always help you make friends'_!"

Rose looked like she was trying not to laugh. Scorpius quickly realized that singing was a mistake. "Stupid idea, probably," he muttered.

At this, Rose nudged gently Albus. He looked at his cousin, who subtly nodded at Scorpius. Understanding suddenly coursed through him.

"I'll have some," Albus said quickly. "Mum doesn't let me have sweets. Which one would you start with?"

Scorpius looked immensely relieved that something was finally going right and pulled out the large bag, which Albus realized was the very same one that Scorpius' mother had given him on the station.

"Easy." Scorpius said. His tone had now changed - didactic and eager - which reminded Albus of how Rose would tell him all about their parents' deeds in whatever book she was reading. "I've always regarded the Pepper Imp as the king of the confectionery bag. They're peppermint sweets that make you smoke at the ears." he said.

He held out the sweet bag eagerly to Albus, who hesitated.

"Hang on, you said your name was Scorpius, right?" he asked. "Your dad is Draco Malfoy, right? The Death Eater?"

Rose did not bother to hide it anymore - she smacked Albus on the back of his head and threw him a furious look.

"Albus!" she whispered furiously. "Don't be rude!"

He turned to Scorpius, only to see that the boy's face had fallen.

"Listen, I know what you must think about me because of my parents," he said. "But I swear, I'm not - that's to say we're not - what you think we are!"

"What do you mean?" Albus asked, looking thoroughly bewildered now. He had only been making an observation - he certainly didn't mean anything by it, and he couldn't understand why Scorpius had turned so hysterical.

"I recognized your dad on the platform - Harry Potter. You're his son, aren't you?" Scorpius said. "I know our parents didn't get along, but my parents aren't Death Eaters! Well - Dad was - but Mum wasn't!" he said in an almost pleading voice.

"And his family was pardoned, Albus," Rose said with finality. "So don't you go starting that up again."

Albus looked at his cousin, guilt surging through him as he realized his mistake. Rose was quite clever that way - she knew exactly how to behave with people to make them feel welcome. And she was always the first to stand up for them, no matter if it was against an older bully or her thick-headed cousin.

"You're right," Albus said quickly. "Besides, I'm sure your parents can't be that bad, if that bag of sweets is anything to go by."

Scorpius laughed at this, pathetically grateful that his family name's stigma appeared to be forgotten. The two boys looked at each other, and something passed between them - a mutual understanding, perhaps, that their parents' history would not get between them anymore.

Rose appeared to have noticed the tension between them thin, for she cleared her throat and said, "Yes, well, I should get going. See you later, Albus," she said.

"Wait, you're not staying?" Albus asked.

"Nope," Rose smiled. "I've lost enough time as it is."

"What do you mean by that?" Albus asked, somewhat irritated.

Rose's face immediately took on a distinctly 'Hermione-ish' look, as Ron called it. "How in Merlin's name do you expect me to rate everyone on this train if I spent the whole time with you two?" she demanded.

And with that, she gave both boys a smile, to indicate that she had not meant any insult, before heading off.

"She's quite fierce," Scorpius noted, a somewhat dazed expression on his face.

"You should see her play Quidditch," Albus said, grinning at Scorpius. "She once beat our Uncle Charlie in a one-on-one: twelve goals in a row, and my Uncle Ron was playing Keeper for him too!"

"Wow," Scorpius said, impressed. Suddenly, he looked at Albus square in the eye. "Thank you," he said. "For staying with me."

Albus felt his face grow hot at Scorpius' gaze. With his father's famous tact, he stammered, "No. No I didn't stay - for you - I stayed for you sweets." He realized what he said. "Sorry! I didn't mean it like that-"

Scorpius laughed, "No. I like it. Do you prefer Albus or Al?"

Albus watched as the boy grinned and popped two Peppermint Imps into his mouth. Normally everyone called him Al, but some part of him wanted to make himself as unique as his new friend was.

"Albus," he said, smiling. "You can call Albus."

Scorpius smiled broadly, shouting over the steam pouring from his ears, "THANK YOU FOR STAYING FOR MY SWEETS, ALBUS!"

"Wow!" Albus laughed.

' _Wow..._ ' he thought again to himself.

They continued to chat for the next few hours as they approached Hogwarts, but Albus hardly noticed the time fly while talking to his new friend. He felt content, at ease. He never had many friends while growing up: most of the kids his age were his siblings or cousins. He got along with them most of the time, but he had never felt as comfortable with them as he was with Scorpius. Scorpius' dynamics perfectly complimented Albus': balancing passion with passiveness, quirkiness with orthodoxy, wittiness with sarcasm, and seriousness with lightheartedness.

It felt like only minutes had passed when they arrived at Hogsmeade. They had already changed into their Hogwarts robes, and made their way off the train and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Albus shivered in the cold night air. Suddenly, a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Albus heard a gruff voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"

Albus looked at the source of the voice and gasped in awe. A giant of a man was standing on the platform, holding a lamp in his hand, which was as big as a dustbin. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but his eyes were still discernible, glinting like black beetles under all his hair. His father had told him a lot about Hagrid, but he had never actually met the half-giant. Albus had asked his dad why they never invited Hagrid for Christmas, but his father, noticeably uncomfortable, had simply said, "Hagrid's a busy man, Al," and left it at that.

"An' you must be Albus!" Hagrid said, recognizing the boy staring nervously at him. "Yeh look jus' like yer father!"

"You're Hagrid, aren't you?" Albus said. "My dad's told me a lot about you."

"Wow!" Scorpius cried. " _You're_ Hagrid? I've read all about you! Is it true that your brother is a giant? Can I meet him?" he asked in wild excitement.

"An' who's this?" Hagrid asked, bemused.

"Scorpius Malfoy, sir," Scorpius said eagerly.

"A Malfoy, eh?" Hagrid said, studying Scorpius closely. "Yeh look just like yer father, Scorpius."

Scorpius faltered, unsure how to respond to this. Albus came rushing in defense of his friend. "Scorpius is really nice, Hagrid. And he's really smart too! I'm sure you'll like him if you just give him a chance!"

Hagrid raised his shaggy eyebrows and studied Albus' earnest expression before smiling. "Never thoug' I'd live ter see the day a Malfoy and a Potter became friends! I suppose yer alright then, eh, Scorpius?" he chortled, patting Scorpius on the back lightly.

Still laughing, Hagrid turned to lead the new students, calling out, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"

Scorpius put his hand on Albus on the shoulder. "Thanks for - er -what you did- " Scorpius began.

"Don't mention it," Albus said, jolted by the the coursing rush he felt from their contact.

Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

"C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Scorpius immediately took his hand off Albus and ran eagerly towards the half-giant. Albus simply stood there, his shoulder feeling oddly colder since Scorpius' hand was there.

"Albus, come on!" Scorpius called over his shoulder. "Or else all the good seats will be taken!"

He shook his head slightly, as though to push away the distracting thought, and headed after his friend.

"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," he heard Hagrid say. "Jus' round this bend here."

"Woah..." he breathed.

The narrow path they were walking on opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore.

Albus and Scorpius were followed into their boat by Rose and another girl. "Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then - FORWARD!"

The fleet of boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Hello, Albus, Scorpius," Rose said. "This is Polly Chapman. We've just been discussing which House we hope to be Sorted in."

"Albus _Potter_?" Polly asked excitedly. "No need to ask where _you're_ ending up! Nothing less than Gryffindor for the famous Harry Potter's son, I expect!"

Albus smiled, though it came off as more of a grimace. This was exactly what he was worried about - even before reaching the school, everyone had already formed an image of him - expecting him to be just as great as his father.

"What about you, Rose?" Scorpius asked. "Gryffindor like your parents, right?"

"I expect so," Rose said. "Although I wouldn't say no to Ravenclaw."

"Hang on, aren't you Scorpius Malfoy?" Polly asked, scrutinizing Scorpius. "Well, there's no question where _you'll_ end up. Slytherin - just like your Death Eater parents." she said in an awful tone.

Even in the darkness, Albus noticed Scorpius' face turn pale.

"And what's wrong with Slytherin?" Albus demanded. "Severus Snape was a Slytherin, and he was one of the bravest people my dad ever knew!"

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid, just as Polly was about to respond.

The boats had reached the cliff. They all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles. Then they climbed up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door. None of them had spoken after Albus' retort, although he did notice Rose glaring angrily at the back of Polly's head.

Hagrid knocked on the large door, which opened at once. A very tiny wizard with a tuft of white hair and ivy-green robes stood there. The top of his wizard hat barely reached the heads of the first years. Albus immediately recognized him as Professor Flitwick, the new Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts when Professor McGonagall took over the position of Headmistress.

"The firs' years, Professor Flitwick," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." she said.

They followed Professor Flitwick across the flagged stone floor into a small, empty chamber off the hall. He quickly explained to them about the four Houses and the point system before leading them into the Great Hall. As they walked, Albus heard muttering around him.

"A Potter. In our year!" whispered one boy.

"He's got his hair," another one said. "He's got hair just like him."

"And he's my cousin," Rose whispered back. Everyone around them turned to look at her. "Rose Granger-Weasley. Nice to meet you all."

At last, the Sorting Ceremony began. The Sorting Hat opened its mouth and began to sing:

 _I've done this job for centuries_  
On every student's head I've sat  
Of thoughts I take inventories  
For I'm the famous Sorting Hat

 _I've Sorted high, I've Sorted low_  
I've done the job through thick and thin  
So put me on and you will know  
Which House you should be in

One by one, Professor Flitwick called each first year's name. They would sit on the stool and wait as the Sorting Hat deliberated, finally calling out their House.

When Professor Flitwick called out, "Granger-Weasley, Rose," the Sorting Hat called out a resounding "GRYFFINDOR" the second it touched her head.

Finally, he called out, "Malfoy, Scorpius."

Scorpius ran up to the stool and placed the Sorting Hat on his head. The Sorting Hat deliberated for a moment before it announced, "SLYTHERIN!"

Expecting this, he nodded to Albus and half smiled. He then took his place at the applauding Slytherin table.

"Well, that makes sense." Polly Chapman nodded from the Gryffindor table.

After a few minutes, the crowd of first years had significantly thinned. Finally, Professor Flitwick called out, "Potter, Albus."

Albus walked swiftly up to the stool, ignoring the hundreds of eyes on him. He placed the Sorting Hat on, and immediately felt everything quiet. From the back of his head, he heard a somewhat snarky voice speak.

"Another Potter, eh?" the hat said. "Well, let's see here..."

Memories raced across his mind: each passing too fast for him to discern.

"Hm... difficult, difficult... plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, my goodness, yes... I've seen this sort of mind before - you're a spitting replica of your father, boy!"

At these words, Albus suddenly became aware of the faces staring at him. He saw Scorpius looking at him from the Slytherin table, saw Rose's face fixed on his own, saw James smirking expectantly, and Polly Chapman looking maddeningly smug. And suddenly, he remembered what she said to him on the boats: " _No need to ask where_ you're _ending up..._ " A flicker of irritation flew across his mind. He looked again at the Slytherin table and saw Scorpius staring back at him, with an expression of anticipation, and perhaps - fear? And at that moment, he made up his mind.

" _Slytherin, put me in Slytherin._ " he told the hat.

"Your father seems to have told you the big secret, hasn't he?" the hat asked, more amused than irritated. "Well, this is quite unexpected then. It seems only moments ago that your father put me on and asked me to _not_ put him in Slytherin!"

" _All the more reason to put me in Slytherin then, isn't it?_ " Albus thought. " _I don't want to be a copy of my father. I want to be someone different, someone unique. Just like Scorpius..."_

"Well, _now_ we've gotten somewhere, haven't we?" the hat chortled. "Well you _do_ speak like a Slytherin. And if it's your choice, of course, then I suppose there's only one place to put you..."

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat cried out.

Albus took off the hat, but the silence around him did not go away. Shocked faces stared back at him. The grin had vanished from James' face. Polly Chapman looked as though she had stepped on a Dungbomb. Rose tried to remain expressionless, though even she couldn't hide her surprise. He looked over to the Slytherin table: Scorpius was beaming at Albus, who briskly walked to his new House's table.

"You can sit next to me!" Scorpius whispered to him.

"Right. Yes." Albus muttered, unsure whether he ought to regret his decision or not.

"Whoa! A Potter? In Slytherin?" a boy whispered loudly, inciting a new round of muttering.

"I suppose his hair isn't that similar." said the boy who had commented on Albus' similarity to his father.

Professor Flitwick continued as though nothing had occurred, calling out the next name. Moments later, all the students had been Sorted and mounds of food appeared on all the plates around them. The rest of the night was a whirl to Albus, who met several of his new classmates, including Craig Bowker Jr, the boy who had elicited muttering after his remark about a Potter in Slytherin. After the feast ended, and Professor McGonagall gave her start-of-year announcements, the prefects led all the students to their dormitories. They climbed down the stairs into the dungeons, talking excitedly amongst themselves.

They stopped at a strech of bare, damp stone wall.

"You'll need to know the password to enter the common room," one of the prefects told them. "Generally, it's something to with Slytherin House." Turning to the stone wall, he spoke clearly, "Salazar."

A stone door concealed in the wall slid open. The prefects marched through it, the first years following suit.

Albus stared around in awe. The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceilings from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and several of the older students were silhouetted around it in high-backed chairs. The prefects began explaining the history of their House to them. Albus tried to listen - after all, this was his new home for the next seven years - but it was really quite boring.

"Whoa! We're under the Black Lake right now! " Scorpius whispered excitedly. "That explains why the light around the room has such a greenish tinge. Can you believe how amazing this is?"

"Really cool," Albus said, rather unexcitedly.

Apparently Scorpius had noticed Albus' lack of enthusiasm, because he frowned and turned away, before grinning and facing him again. "Think we might get a good look at the giant squid?"

This caught Albus' attention. "There's a giant squid here?" he whispered.

"Sure there is!" Scorpius whispered back. "We have merpeople and grindylows too! Surely your dad must've told you about them! He swam in the lake during his fourth year, remember? In the Triwizard Tournament?"

"Oh. Oh yeah!" Albus said.

Truth be told, Albus had forgotten. It was hard to remember everything significant thing his dad had done - half of which was when he was underage, as Scorpius reminded him. Eventually, the prefects finished covering their House's history and proceeded to listing the House rules, which took a significantly shorter amount of time than the textbook reading they had received before. Albus noted they were mostly common sense: no magic in the corridors, don't reveal the password, don't bring students from other Houses into the common room. Finally, they were dismissed. Albus, Scorpius, and three other boys were shown their room, where their belongings awaited them atop their own four-poster beds. The boys wasted no time in unpacking and changing into their nightwear.

Just as Albus pulled on his pajamas, Scorpius came up to him with a somewhat apologetic expression. "Listen, Albus," he said. "I'm really sorry that you didn't get Sorted in Gryff-"

"You think I wanted to be Sorted in Gryffindor?" Albus asked him. "How do you think I'd survive Hogwarts without you by my side?"

He smiled slightly at Scorpius' incredulous expression.

"I mean, it'll take some time getting used to all this green," Albus said. "But other than that-"

"The green matches your eyes."

Of all the things Scorpius could have said, this was not something Albus expected. Scorpius seemed to realize this, for he immediately turned pink and began rambling, "Sorry, that just came out. The walls just reminded me of your eyes - not that I was thinking about eyes! I mean I was - but not like that - and - I just meant - it suits you. Not the walls, of course! I meant being a Slytherin and all. I- I'll just shut up now."

"Scorpius?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. I appreciate that."

Scorpius grinned sheepishly and crawled into his bed, before he could embarrass himself further. An hour later, the lights went out, and everyone was asleep - everyone but Albus, who still lay awake in his bed, smiling foolishly in spite of himself.


	5. Author's Note

I've changed Delphi's story a bit from what I originally planned, because I realized, as I was charting out the later parts of the story, that her backstory and characterization could not be reconciled with what I'd planned to have do later in the story. As a result of this, I've also had to tweak the history of the Unspeakables and Euphemia Rowle. Therefore, I've rewritten and reposted Chapters 1 and 2. Now that I've done that, I can finally go ahead and start writing Chapter 5.

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far!  
-NoxPersona9


	6. Aunt Narcissa

DEPARTMENT OF MYSTERIES , 22 JUNE 2014

Delphi was lying on her bed, one leg crossed over the other. In the blue light thrown by the candles in her room, much of the graffiti she had adorned her walls with was visible, glowing a sparkling white. Most were simple doodles - an Augurey or a flame pattern - that were bewitched to move across the walls. She was still reeling in shock. For years, she had assumed that her parents were still alive - that they were coming to take her back any moment. She was sure that it would have been today - now that she had come of age.

"Why didn't they come?" she asked herself.

She had started talking to herself several years ago - perhaps when she was twelve or thirteen. She found it the best way to deal with the deafening silence around her. It had always been like this for as long as she could remember: deafening silence and blinding darkness. Madam Rowle always stressed the importance of their conditions - light and sound were distractions from clear thinking.

" _Remember this, Delphini: clarity of thought leads to clarity of magic._ " she muttered bitterly, mimicking Euphemia's sharp voice. She quickly found out that she was able to mimic voices very well. It helped her feel less craze talking out loud.

She groaned and flipped over, banging her hands against the wall. They made no noise, of course - everything was bewitched here so as to provide both security from the ' _unworthy ones_ ' who dwelled above. She often asked Madam Rowle why they hid underground, resulting in her week-long incarceration following a full hour of writing in pain from the Cruciatus Curse by Madam Rowle, infuriated by Delphi's ' _insubordination_ '.

"I could leave whenever I want," Delphi told herself, sitting up in her bed. "No one - not even Rowle - could keep me here if I didn't want to."

She often had these thoughts of running away, but she never acted on them. Escape was impossible. Yet it wasn't for lack of skill or power. Delphi could break through the strongest of enchantments without a second thought. It was fear that kept her chained here - fear of her parentage, fear of the unknown world that lay above her. For all her curiosity about what existed above her, Delphi was still hesitant. This was her home, after all. The only people who knew her and wanted her. Even before she knew her parents were dead, she had often wondered what her parents would say if they saw her. Would they be angry that she had come to them before they were ready to receiver her? Or would they be worried? Had they, perhaps, been searching for her all these years? Had she been kidnapped when she was a child? It would explain the treatment she received down here. But it would be unfair to say that she had only known misery here. For all the times Rowle had shot curses at her, she had also showered her with an equal amount of praise.

" _I know that sometimes you may feel hurt by what we do, Delphini. But everything we do is for your own good. Nobody up there even knows that you exist,_ " she pointed at the ceiling, speaking in Euphemia's maternal tone. " _But the Augurey does - that is why you were brought here. You are special, Delphini. You have a great destiny before you - one that we must prepare you for. In due time, I promise that, when you are ready, you will see the world above._ "

At first, she was confused by this concept - that one shows caring through inflicting pain. She had, at one point, wondered whether her parents sent here away to this terrible place _because_ they loved her. But that was ridiculous - why wouldn't they have just hurt her themselves if they truly cared? Perhaps they didn't love her. Or perhaps they weren't able to love her properly - which is why they must have sent her here: where she would be with people that could love her until her parents learned how. Eventually, she learned to accept this as one of the strange facts of life. She was well acquainted with many of the Great Mysteries: Thought, Death, Space, Time, and Divination. The Department of Mysteries - what she had come to understand as the antechamber between her home and the wizarding world - had rooms dedicated to each of these topics. She had visited them many times, both during her lessons and on her own. But the final mystery was the one that intrigued and baffled her the most: Love. Madam Rowle had glossed over it during her lessons. Delphi had asked her whether there was a room in the Department of Mysteries that studied Love.

" _There is,"_ she mimicked. " _But it is impossible to enter. Generations of the Augurey's Unspeakables have tried and failed to enter it- Delphini, banish that ridiculous thought from your mind at once! You are not to go near that room, do you understand?_ "

Of course, Delphi took this as a challenge.

"An un-openable room?" Delphi had laughed at the time. "Challenge accepted."

But Delphi quickly learned that Madam Rowle was quite correct when she snuck out in the middle of the night (which appeared no different from the day). Not matter what enchantments Delphi cast, the door refused to open. She had tried everything method of unlocking. Finally, losing her temper, she attempted to blast the door open. Naturally, this resulted in an irate Croaker dragging her away. And the tragedy of it all? The bloody door still didn't open.

"The greatest regret of my life," Delphi smirked. She often distracted herself like this - replacing bad thoughts with good ones. And soon, all her misery and shock over her parents was forgotten.

Quite suddenly, she stood up and strode to the door. Immediately after being marked, Delphi had been sent to her room while Rowle and Croaker returned to the meditation room. Patience had never been one of her strong traits, and she was just about fit to burst after thirty minutes of ' _the_ _adults are deliberating, Delphi - go to your room immediately'_.

"I'm of age today!" she fumed. "I ought to have every right to - er... deliberate with them."

But the rational part of her knew that this wasn't how it worked: Madam Rowle's word was law. And she knew that defying Madam Rowle would result in far worse things than the Cruciatus Curse. But she didn't have to wait much longer. The door to her room opened, revealing the silhouettes of Rowle and Croaker.

"Delphini, come with us at once," Rowle said shortly.

Eager that something was happening, Delphi followed them out immediately.

"What's this about, Madam Rowle?" she asked.

"Don't ask questions," Euphemia snapped. "And hurry up."

They walked in silence, eventually arriving in the meditation chamber. Once everyone had come inside, Croaker pointed his wand at the door, which shut and bolted itself.

"The lights, please, Saul," Euphemia said.

Candles appeared around them, their flames growing bright blue. Delphi tried not to roll her eyes.

"Delphini, you have accepted the Augurey's mark," Euphemia said.

"I know, Madam Rowle," Delphi said. "I was there, remember?"

"Don't be impertinent-" Rowle began angrily.

"What Madam Rowle means, Delphi," Croaker interrupted. "Is that certain things must be taken into account, now that you have come of age."

"Like what?" Delphi asked. She had always liked Professor Croaker more than Rowle. For one thing, he didn't require her to call him 'sir' or 'Professor'.

"Well, as you know," Croaker said. "You weren't born here, Delphi. We took you in as part of an agreement with your father to ensure your safety. And part of that agreement was that, in the event of your orphanage, we would take yo-"

"Why didn't you tell me that I was an orphan?" she asked suddenly. She could feel the anger bubbling inside her as she sat there, listening to Croaker speaking so nonchalantly about the family she now knew was never coming for her.

"You never asked," Croaker said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"And yet, in all the time I've been here, you never thought to mention it at all?" Delphi asked. Her voice was very controlled now, but she was making quite an effort to keep it that way.

"I understand that you may be upset-" Croaker began.

"' _May be upset_ '?" Delphi asked, her voice now coming out in Croaker's deep tones. "I think we passed 'upset' sixteen years ago! All this time, I've thought that my parents were still out there! That - that -" her voice broke and tears began to flow earnestly from her eyes.

Croaker was beginning to look slightly uncomfortable. "Delphi - this wasn't a matter of - it was for your own good-"

"Why would not telling me that my parents were dead be for _MY OWN GOOD_?" she screamed, her voice now splitting into different tones that resonated cacophonously.

"Enough," Rowle said suddenly. "You are letting emotion cloud your judgement. What do you think would have changed, even if we _had_ told you?"

"Maybe I wouldn't have spent my whole life waiting for people who were never going to come!" she said shrilly.

"Perhaps," Rowle said, quite calmly. "But the outcome would still have remained the same: your powers would be just as strong; your training just as complete; your mission just as clear."

"What mission?" Delphi asked, her anger now tinged with bewilderment. "What training? How many other things haven't you been telling me? _Tell the truth!_ " the last words came out in her own voice, but there was a commanding ring behind it, quite unlike how she normally spoke.

"Delphi," Croaker said. He was both unnerved and pleased by this sharp change in her tone. "You know that everything Madam Rowle does is for your own good. She operates on a need-to-know basis because truth is such a fragile thing."

"Then why," Delphi asked. "Would you tell me only now that I'm an orphan?"

Croaker paused and looked at Euphemia before continuing. "We believe that... there may be a way to bring back your father."

"What?" Delphi asked, taken aback. "What do you mean? Who is my father?"

"We can't tell you everything right now-" Croaker began.

"Of course you can't," Delphi said, laughing mirthfully. "I'm just expected to do everything you tell me without question."

"Delphini," Rowle said. "Do not forget that we took you in. We raised you, fed you, clothed you, taught you. And tonight, we marked you with the Augurey. No matter how you may feel at the moment, remember that you are now one of us. Your loyalty belongs to us, and ours to you."

Delphi said nothing, cursing to herself that everything Rowle had said was true. Euphemia took advantage of Delphi's silence.

"We tell you this now because your destiny has begun on this night," she said. "Marking you tonight was the first of a chain of events that will take place."

This caught Delphi's attention. "You mean like a prophecy?" she asked.

"Two, to be precise, made shortly before your birth," Rowle said.

"Show me," Delphi said at once. "If you're telling the truth, and if it's about me, then there ought to be a record of them in the Hall of Prophecy which I can take."

"Unfortunately," Croaker said. "Many of the records were destroyed in a battle that took place in the Department of Mysteries more than eighteen years ago. The Twin Prophecies did not survive."

"Then why- " Delphi began.

"Fortunately, however," Croaker interrupted. "I was the one to whom the prophecy was conveyed, and as such, I am capable of relaying the prophecy to you through my memories. The problem is that we don't have the proper, ah, _equipment_ on hand that will allow me to show you."

"Why am I not surprised?" Delphi muttered under her breath, earning a reproving look from Rowle.

"All is not lost, however," Croaker said. "There are several places I know of that have the equipment we need to see it. All of them are located in the world above us."

Delphi smiled in excitement. Was this, she thought, an opportunity for her to leave this place at last?

"I'll go," she said at once. "I'll get whatever you need."

"I admire your initiative," Croaker smiled. "And believe me, you _will_ have the opportunity to see the world above. But there is a slight matter which Madam Rowle and I need to address before we send you."

"What is it?" Delphi asked, her smile faltering.

"Delphini," Rowle said. "Your journey does not simply end with this. Hearing the prophecy is only the first step in accepting your destiny."

"I don't understand," Delphi frowned.

"What Madam Rowle means," Croaker explained. "Is that you are not merely visiting the surface world. We are making arrangements for you to stay there long-term."

"How long?" Delphi asked slowly. Was this a trick? No one except Croaker was permitted to leave the sanctuary, after all.

"As long as it takes for you to fulfill the prophecy," Rowle said. "Once you hear the prophecy, you will know what to do next. But you cannot return back here once you leave, unless you have completed your task."

"Where will I be staying?" Delphi asked.

"At your aunt's house," Croaker said. "Her name is Narcissa Malfoy. She is one of the last remaining pure-bloods in the wizarding world."

"She was my mother's sister?" Delphi asked excitedly. "Did she know my father as well? How-"

"Because of the situation, we cannot give you any more details," Rowle said, rather sharply. "But I assure you, you will discover your parentage in due time. Suffice to say that she knew your father well."

"What-" Delphi began, irritated by the lack of information she was getting.

"No more questions," said Rowle. "You will learn all in due time. For now, I will escort you personally to Malfoy Manor, where you will stay comfortably while you complete your quest."

Euphemia got up and flicked her wand at the candles, which Vanished instantly.

"Take hold of my hand, Delphini," Rowle said. "We will Apparate directly to the Manor."

Rather hesitantly, Delphi held onto Euphemia's wrist.

"Goodbye, Professor Croaker," she said, blinking back the tears in her eyes.

"Farewell, my dear," Croaker said, smiling. "I will eagerly await your return."

Delphi closed her eyes, preparing herself for the uncomfortable sensation that would follow when Euphemia twisted and vanished in thin air, leading Delphi blindly alongside her. When she opened her eyes, she took great gulps of cold air. It tasted completely strange, though not in a bad way. On the contrary, it felt very refreshing. She looked wildly around, her senses completely overwhelmed. She was grinning uncontrollably, letting out a wild laugh of freedom.

"Delphini, control yourself!" Rowle snapped. "We do _not_ want to attract unwanted attention."

But Delphi had already started running, spreading her arms and smiling widely. The moon shone brightly in the black satin sky, diamond stars twinkling brilliantly around it. Crickets chirped invisibly from behind the lush green foliage.

"This is magical!" she cried aloud.

"Delphini!" Rowle said furiously. "Silence yourself - _at once_!"

When Delphini continued to ignore her, Euphemia pointed her wand at her, sending a streak of yellow light that hit the girl squarely on the back. She stopped running at once, standing obediently where she stood. The two witches walked silently along the path towards the large mansion ahead of them. They approached a gate, which twisted itself into a terrible metal face.

"Declare yourself," the gate demanded in a clanging, metallic voice.

"Euphemia Rowle and Delphini," Rowle said, slightly unsure of herself.

Under the Imperius Curse's influence, Delphi's mind was unusually blank. Nevertheless, hearing Rowle's voice falter made her realize that it was both their first time on the surface. Delphi wondered why she had insisted on coming herself instead of sending Croaker - perhaps it was because, since Croaker often came to the surface, he would be recognizable. Regardless, the gate swung open and they continued on their way. Just as they approached the door, it was opened by an old woman, in her late fifties, with platinum blonde hair streaked with grey. She was pointing a wand at them warily.

"Who are you?" Narcissa asked in a slightly haughty voice.

"As I told your gate, my name is Euphemia Rowle," she said. "I am an old friend of Augustus Rookwood, whom I believe your husband was an associate with?"

"Are you from the Department of Mysteries?" Narcissa asked.

"In a manner of speaking," Euphemia said. "May we come in?"

"Give me your wands first," Narcissa asked.

She took Euphemia's and Delphi's wands in a slender hand. At once, Delphi felt as though a curtain had risen in her mind and knew that the Imperius Curse must have lifted. She jerked her head, motioning them to come in. The living room was very large and elaborate. A giant fire blazed in the fireplace - its flames burning orange, which appeared very strange to Delphi. Beautiful paintings adorned the walls, which were covered in intricately patterned wallpaper. Narcissa and Euphemia sat on lavish couches. As Delphi began to seat herself, Euphemia sharply told her to stop.

Turning to Narcissa, she asked, "Is there anywhere my ward could remain while we speak, so that we will not be overheard?"

"The drawing room - the door at the end of the hall." Narcissa said.

Delphi opened her mouth to argue, then thought better of it. She turned and left, walking into the drawing room. As soon as she entered, the fireplace ignited and illuminated the room in brilliant orange. The door closed behind her as she stepped over the threshold. She put her ear to the keyhole, attempting to listen to the secret conversation. But just like the walls of the Augurey's sanctuary, the door had evidently been made Imperturbable.

Nearly fifteen minutes later, Delphi heard the door unlock while she sat before the fireplace, watching the strange orange flames dance. She turned around and saw Narcissa Malfoy watching her uncertainly.

"What happened to Madam Rowle?" Delphi asked.

"She left, Delphini," Narcissa said. "But not before telling me your story."

"Did she tell you who my parents are?" Delphi asked eagerly.

Narcissa flinched. Undoubtedly, Euphemia had told her that Delphi would ask her this. "She did."

"But you can't tell me who they are?" Delphi asked, already knowing the answer.

Narcissa shook her head. The light cast by the fire threw shadows onto her face, enhancing her sharp cheekbones and wrinkles and making her appear even older to Delphi.

"I'm sure you must be tired after your journey," Narcissa said, smiling hesitantly after a few moments of silence.

Delphi wasn't tired at all - on the contrary, now that Rowle had gone, she wanted nothing more but to explore this strange new world. But she allowed Narcissa to escort her to her new bedroom, which was much larger than her old one. The fireplace was already lit there, illuminating her ornately carved four-poster bed. Narcissa brought her a nightgown to wear, promising her that they would talk more in the morning. There was a kindness in Narcissa's voice that Delphi certainly had never heard before in Rowle's. She changed into her nightgown and climbed into her bed. Immediately, sleepiness overcame her - Delphi had certainly not felt this tired before. She closed her eyes and fell asleep within minutes.


End file.
